Filters are widely used in numerous applications to remove contaminants from liquids and fluids. Examples of filter applications for the filtration of fluids include food and beverage processing, health care applications, and the automotive and powered machine industry in which internal combustion engines combust fuel to produce mechanical power. For example, filters are often utilized as part of the fuel system for an internal combustion engine to filter fuel directed from the tank to the combustion chambers to remove contaminants that could otherwise clog injectors and/or negatively affect the combustion process. In addition to the various applications, filters are available in many different configurations, sizes, and shapes that may depend upon the particular application.
In the automotive or combustion engine sector, however, one often-used filter configuration will include a filtration media that is fluid permeable for filtration of the process fluid and a rigid, impermeable housing in which the filtration media is disposed. The housing may interconnect with or delineate various passages to direct the incoming fluid through the filtration media and back out of the filter. Examples of filtration media may include mated paper, metal meshed screens, porous material, or particle sieves while the material of the housing may be solid metal, glass, or ceramics. To facilitate assembly and positioning of the filtration media within the housing, the filtration media is often configured as a filter cartridge or element that may include some non-permeable or solid components that interface with the housing. The present disclosure is directed to a filter element having fluid permeable and impermeable components and to a method of fabricating the same for such exemplary applications.